Thermal shock means a critical overheating of the whole organism, leading to a violation of thermoregulation . This disease most often occurs in the summer due to high air temperature or when doing work in a stuffy and hot room. And also with dynamic physical activity during active sports.
Regardless of the cause of overheating of the body, this disease is a threat to human life, so it is very important to quickly and correctly recognize the signs of a heat stroke and provide emergency help.
Heat stroke - symptoms and first aid
The probability of obtaining a heat stroke depends on the individual ability of the human body to adapt or acclimatize to high air temperatures and humidity. Also in the process of thermoregulation I take part primarily in the pores and sweat glands, because the body with excess heat afterwards, so their healthy state allows to reduce the risk of getting a heat stroke.
To know what to do with a heat stroke, you need to distinguish between its symptoms:
- very high body temperature up to 41 ° C,
- dilated pupils,
- rapid pulse, more than 130 beats per minute,
- tachycardia and a sharp drop in blood pressure,
- faint ,
- diarrhea, nausea, vomiting,
- hyperemia of the facial skin and pallor.
If the first signs of a heat stroke do not provide first aid in serious cases, the symptoms can worsen until the state of delirium, hallucinations, disorientation, convulsions, hepatic and renal insufficiency, and even human death.
During the diagnosis of heat stroke, depending on the degree of severity, doctors often prescribe additional tests and examinations to rule out complications, including such as CNS lesions.
Everyone, regardless of age and sex, can get a heat stroke, so you need to know all about the symptoms and first aid. The faster it will help the victim, the more chances he will recover without complications.
When recognizing the symptoms of heat stroke, the main help to the victim is to lower the body temperature to below 39 ° C and call an ambulance. And also it is necessary to carry out constant monitoring of body temperature rectally, before the arrival of an ambulance.
Cooling methods
The proven medical fact is that if more than an hour has passed between the first signs of a heat stroke and the provision of emergency care, irreversible processes leading to the defeat of the nervous system, disability or death of the victim begin to develop in the body. Therefore, it is necessary to begin measures to cool a person immediately. The most effective methods to reduce body temperature:
- Wrap a person with a wet sheet and transfer to a room with air conditioning or put under a fan.
- Wipe with cold water, ice, vodka or alcohol.
- Apply a patch of ice on the forehead.
- Give an abundant cold drink.
But it is worth noting that the use of antipyretic drugs in this case is not effective and even harmful, since the liver is additionally loaded. And the above methods of cooling - this is only the provision of first aid on their own until the arrival of physicians. Therefore, the ambulance must necessarily be called, since it is possible to inject the cooled saline intravenously to reduce the temperature. Also, the patient should receive a qualified examination and treatment to reduce the risk of complications and irreversible processes - this can save a person's life.